Glory Days

In and around Lüneburg, Germany.

Summer 2010.

I had a friend, was a big baseball player

Back in high school

He could throw that speedball by you

Make you look like a fool, boy

Saw him the other night at this roadside bar

I was walking in, he was walking out

We went back inside, sat down, had a few drinks

But all we kept talking about was

Glory days

(Bruce Springsteen)

Every time I meet or talk to one of my former class mates (some of whom I'm still great friends with), we talk about our own glory days. The fun times we had playing football, even though we never won any of the tournaments we participated in. The teachers, the fellow students. Where did he go, what is she doing now? I can still remember Mrs Avenell's yelling and Mrs Eales' incompetence. I also treasure my memories of history class and my favourite teacher. Actually, he has said we should sit down and have a few beers some time... and when we do, I'm pretty sure we'll talk about glory days.

Goodnight.


- Dom

Ripple

There is a road, no simple highway

Between the dawn and the dark of night

And if you go no one may follow

That path is for your steps alone

(Grateful Dead - Ripple)

Mojave Desert, California.

June 2009.

Someone once said, "Solitude isn't the absence of noise, it's the absence of distraction." I have never experienced as little noise or distraction as I did during the two or three days I spent in the Mojave Desert.

Into The Mystic

Archaeological survey

Lower Saxony, Germany.

March 2011.

We were born before the wind

Also younger than the sun

(Van Morrison - Into The Mystic)

The first field trip this spring was a success. It was a lot of fun to work outside and we've made a lot of progress surveying some of the megalithic tombs of Lower Saxony. I spent most of the day operating a Leica Total Station (pictured above) while a buddy held up the reflector. Another student carried out a GPS survey of all the stones in the area. A group consisting of our tutor and three fellow students spent four hours trying to get an Ilris 3D scanner to work - such is archaeology, sometimes the equipment lets you down.

I've volunteered to take part in future field trips to the area. The site is located in the Lüneburg Heath, which is a popular tourist destination in Northern Germany. It's a great place to spend a day outdoors.

Have a nice weekend.

- Dom

Sunshine Daydream

She comes skimmin' through rays of violet

She can wade in a drop of dew 

She don't come and I don't follow

(Grateful Dead - Sugar Magnolia)

Maple Motors, Hendersonville, TN,

and Nashville, TN, respectively.

July 2007.

Click here to see inspiring new architecture; here for pictures of an awesome motorcycle; this link for my favourite photograph of the past weekend; both of the following links (#1 and #2) will treat you with some of the finest photographic essays on the National Geographic website, which is also where I read this interesting article; here's an awesome black&white photograph of Jimmy Dean and Liz Taylor, who died earlier today.

"Is dying hard, Daddy?"

"No, I think it's pretty easy, Nick. It all depends."

They were seated in the boat. Nick in the stern, his father rowing. The sun was coming up over the hills. A bass jumped, making a circle in the water. It felt warm in the sharp chill of the morning.

In the early morning on the lake sitting in the stern of the boat with his father rowing, he felt quite sure he would never die.

(Ernest Hemingway - Indian Camp)

Have a great evening.

- Dom

France Road Trip

Here's the route for our road trip around France... 

Hamburg
Xanten
Bruges
[Dunkerque]
Etretat
Longues-sur-Mer (Atlantic Wall)
Omaha Beach
Mont Saint-Michel
Saint-Malo
Dinan
Kerouriec
Carnac
Vannes
Beynac-et-Cazenac
Rocamadour
[Carcassonne]
Millau
Gorges du Tarn
Aubenas
Arles
Camarque
Maussane-les-Alpilles
Gordes
Grasse
Besancon
Strasbourg
Ouvrage Hackenberg (Maginot Line)
Völklingen Ironworks
Saarschleife
Trier
Hamburg

My friends and I would like to thank everybody who's contributed a few places to the list. I'm sure that more places will be added to the route over the next few months.

This journey of more than 5,000 kilometres is going to be the first time the red Volvo V40 I bought last week will have to prove itself on one of my road trips - unless I make it up to Sweden before we visit France. 

I hope you have a nice weekend.

- Dom

Adam Raised A Cain

With the same hot blood 

Burning in our veins

Adam raised a Cain

You know it's never over

It's relentless as the rain

Adam raised a Cain

You inherit the sin

You inherit the flames

Adam raised a Cain

Lost but not forgotten

From the dark heart of a dream

Adam raised a Cain

(Bruce Springsteen)

Joshua Tree National Park.

California. June 2009.

Click here to see a picture of a

Joshua Tree that I posted in 2009.

Apart from being my friend Freddy's birthday, the 15th of March is also the 2055th anniversary of Gaius Julius Caesar's assassination (Ides of March, 44 B.C.). 

Anyway... happy birthday dude!

- Dom

Jungleland

New York City.

July 2009.

The rangers had a homecoming

in Harlem late last night

And the magic rat drove his sleek machine

over the Jersey state line

Barefoot girl sitting on the hood of a Dodge

drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain

(Bruce Springsteen - "Jungleland")

Click here to see stunning pictures of waves. I love the ocean, the sea, rivers, even small lakes. One day I want to learn how to sail. 

Many thanks to those who have suggested places to be included on our route for the France trip - I put them on the list and we'll plan the route on Thursday. In my opinion, planning the route is just as much fun as the trip itself. I suppose we're going to have a tough schedule. 

It's been years since my last visit to France. My memories have faded - the photos I discovered in a box a few weeks ago are as colourful as ever. 

When you've heard "I Want To Know What Love Is" being played on three different radio stations, you know it's time to go to bed, which is exactly what I'll do now. I have to be up in six hours to conclude a deal on a red Volvo, get it to a garage, and choose an insurance. Later in the day, I've got an interview at Joey's, which is a pizza delivery service in Hamburg. I wouldn't apply for a job at a company whose products I don't support, but their pizzas are really good, so I hope I'll get a job there because I have a little too much spare time.

Goodnight!

- Dom

Beautiful Day

The River Elbe. 

Hamburg, Germany.

March 2011.

30 seconds; F/18; ISO 50.

Touch me

Take me to that other place

Teach me

I know I'm not a hopeless case

(U2 - Beautiful Day)

I had a busy morning, visiting about a dozen car dealerships in and around the city. I'm searching for a Volvo V40 in good condition. There's a lot of them still on the road and they're perfect for road trips with a few friends - which, naturally, goes along with carrying a lot of luggage, camera equipment, and camping gear.

The evening was rather relaxed. I visited some blogs as well as Flickr photostreams that friends recommended to me. The following links lead you to the pictures I liked best. #1; #2; #3; #4; #5; #6; #7; #8; #9; #10; #11; #12; #13; #14; #15.

Goodnight.


- Dom

I Think I See The Light

The River Elbe during blue hour.

Hamburg, Germany.

March 2011.
Thanks to Brooke for pointing out 
that Orion is visible on the left.

Blue hour is my favourite time to take long exposures - even more than night itself. Today was a beautiful day. I drove along a scenic route that follows the River Elbe, stopping here and there to take pictures. I wish I'd had the convertible, but it's parked in Lüneburg.

Next week, I'm going to cook dinner with two of the three friends who will come along on the trip around Belgium and France. We'll talk about which places we'd like to visit. If you would like to make any suggestions, please don't hesitate to do so. 

Blog post title taken from the song of the same name from Yusuf Islam's album "An Other Cup". It's amazing that even though he'd been out of the music business for more than twenty years prior to his comeback a few years ago, his voice still sounds as beautiful as back in the day when he was going by the name Cat Stevens.

As usual, I visited the National Geographic website while eating breakfast. It's a great way to start the day. Today, I enjoyed a series of beautiful photographs taken in some of Great Britain's best-loved national parks. Dartmoor has always been my favourite. We spent quite a few hiking holidays in Dartmoor when I was a kid. In addition, I love these pictures of cabins as well as the architecture and interiors of this former pump station. Click here to see pictures of, and read about, a unique archaeological find. 

The excavation I had signed up for begins next week. I decided to cancel my participation, firstly due to the fact that I would have missed the first week of the new semester, and secondly because they didn't reveal any information: Neither was I told where exactly I would be working, nor where I would be staying for the night, nor how much I would earn. Now I'm hoping to find a good excavation for the summer.

Have a nice weekend.

- Dom

Unknown Caller

The Elbphilharmonie concert hall.

Hamburg, Germany.

March 2011.

I was lost between midnight 

and the dawning

In a place of no consequence

or company

(U2 - Unknown Caller)

There's been some progress on the Elbphilharmonie since I took this picture in November 2010. I'm sure it's going to be the most stunning building in the whole region.

Take a look at this awesome series of photographs taken at the races. In addition, here is another portfolio I enjoyed very much. I also like the campaign against gun violence. Last but not least, check out the amazing video of mountain biker Chris Akrigg.

Have a nice day.

- Dom

Alligator Aviator Autopilot Antimatter

Hamburg, Germany.

March 2011.

Same location as this photograph,

which was taken in August 2010.

I've made some progress with my essay about depictions of animals in Celtic religious art. Actually, I picked the topic myself. The professor thought it's an interesting choice and she's supported me during my research. Hopefully, I'll be able to hand it in within the next few days.

Blog post title taken from the song by R.E.M. off their new album.

There's plenty of wonderful photographs to be found on this blog.


Enjoy your evening.


- Dom

Discoverer

Lauenburg, Germany.

March 2011.

Click here for more pictures taken in 

Lauenburg almost exactly a year ago.

I stayed over at my mum's house in Lüneburg for the weekend; I needed to get out of the city for a while. 

As I wake up on Sunday, the sun is up and shining bright. The air smells fresh. I decide to skip breakfast. I think about which of the BMWs I should get the keys for. The Z4 convertible is just perfect for a day like this.

I leave the house and get in the car. Put in the new album by R.E.M., turn up the sound, let the top down. Back out of the carport, refill at the next petrol station and get a bottle of coke. Put in first gear, then second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth. The perfect two-lane blacktop of Northern Germany. It's early, there's not many cars on the road. I'm headed to Lauenburg, a picture-perfect town on the banks of the River Elbe with many late medieval houses.

After taking some pictures, I head back. Once again, the landscape is rushing past my car, or it's the other way round - it's hard to tell. I shift down and shift back up while leaving the foot on the clutch to hear the sound of 190 horsepowers roaring through the silence. Two hours later I'm back in Lüneburg.

I've already handed in the most important essay of the past semester, but there's three more that I need to finish before the end of the semester break. I wanted to visit my friend Frederic for a couple days but I had to cancel the trip. I'm running out of time with my essays and he needs to study for exams, so we'll meet at the end of the month. I don't allow myself much time off, but those two hours I had to concentrate on driving, I felt relaxed. 

After due consideration, I decided to sell my Canon Speedlite. I haven't used it much in the twelve months since I bought it. In addition, I prefer natural light.


Check out this awesome feature on the National Geographic website. I enjoyed these photographs of animals. There's a series of stunning pictures of floods, too. Last but not least, I liked some of the pictures in this photographer's portfolio and the posters of a guy whose artwork a good friend of mine recommended to me.

Title taken from the song by R.E.M. off their new album, "Collapse Into Now".

Have an awesome week!

- Dom

Worse Things Happen At Sea

Hamburg, Germany.

May 2010.

Blog post title taken from the song by Frank Turner.

I've got tickets for Hard Rock Calling, which means that after three years, I'm finally coming back to London. Bon Jovi have been confirmed as headliners, so it's gonna be a great night in Hyde Park.

I went to see True Grit the other night. I've always been a fan of Jeff Bridges and his performance was outstanding, and so was that of the whole cast. The soundtrack was very enjoyable, too. Click here and here to listen. Still on my list of films I need to watch is The King's Speech.


Check out these stunning interiors of the Deutsche Bank building in Frankfurt, Germany.

Have a nice weekend!

- Dom

Big Sky

Route 66, California.

June 2009.

I had slept in the car to be up with the first light of day... it was worth it: The light was magic! I think it's ridiculous that the speed limit on Route 66 is 30 mph. I saw no more than 20 cars in 10 hours. 

Blog post title taken from the song by Runrig.

Take a look at these awesome drawings (#1 / #2).

Have a nice day.

- Dom

The Road

Kingman, Arizona.

June 2009.

Blog post title taken from the song of the same name by Frank Turner.

Someone broke into our cellar room and stole my racing cycle. It's the second time a road bike has been stolen from me. After all the money I've invested in new Shimano gear levers as well as new pedals, and the time I spent working on the bike, this is a bummer. I guess I'll have to go by car or public transport for a while.

In addition, I've had to withdraw from participating in the excavation of a megalithic grave, which was scheduled to begin in mid-March and end on the 8th of April. However, the new semester starts on the 4th of April. I've been strongly advised against missing the first week of the semester - which makes sense to me, as I have to admit. Also, I've been invited to a job interview. I had applied for a part-time job at a museum two weeks before I applied for a job as a digger. On account of the museum job being not as short termed as the excavation work, I have chosen a priority.

New pictures coming soon.

Goodnight.

- Dom